Partner Visa Cost and Processing Times in 2026

A Partner visa application now costs $11,710 for most applicants. That's the base charge for both the onshore subclass 820 and 801 and the offshore subclass 309 and 100, paid once when you lodge, and it rose from $9,365 on 1 July 2026. Applicants holding a passport from a Pacific-regional country, which includes Timor-Leste, pay $9,600 instead. Every family member added to the application costs extra.

Processing is slower than most couples expect. Half of recent 309 applications took 21 months or more in the Department's own guide, and the onshore 820 was similar. Below we set out every charge, the current processing figures, and why the queue moves the way it does.

How much does a Partner visa cost from 1 July 2026?

You pay one charge, at lodgement, for both stages. A temporary 309 or 820 carries no charge of its own. It must be lodged together with the permanent 100 or 801, and that permanent application carries the fee.

These are the charges for applications made on or after 1 July 2026. A few rarer situations, such as some people who entered Australia before 19 December 1989, have their own rates and aren't shown here.

Price out the Prospective Marriage visa (subclass 300) route properly. Its charge matches the 309/100. Then, once you've married in Australia, the onshore application costs another $1,955 if you lodge while you still hold the 300. So a couple who choose the 300 pay $13,665 in visa charges, where a couple who marry first and lodge a 309/100 pay $11,710. If the wedding is going to happen anyway, the 300 is the dearer road.

Visa charges aren't the whole bill. According to the Department, its pricing estimator doesn't take into account other costs relating to your visa. Budget separately for things it asks for during processing, such as health examinations and police certificates.

Pacific and Timor-Leste passports pay less

It turns on the passport the main applicant holds. Not citizenship by descent, and not where the couple live. You need a valid passport issued by one of these 13 countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Added family members pay the lower rate too. That's because their charge follows the main applicant's application, not their own passport.

Here's how much it moves. Picture an offshore couple lodging a 309/100 with a 10-year-old daughter. If the applicant holds a Fijian passport, the charges are $9,600 plus $2,405, so $12,005. With an Indian passport, the same family pays $11,710 plus $2,935, which is $14,645. Same relationship, same evidence, $2,640 apart.

What the processing time guide shows

Every month or so the Department refreshes a guide based on how long recently decided applications took. It shows two points: when half were finished, and when 90% were finished. These are the figures it showed on 6 October 2026.

Read the permanent rows carefully, because they're the ones people misread. Those 801 and 100 figures don't run from the day you lodged. They run from the date you become eligible for the permanent stage, which the Department puts at 2 years after you applied for the temporary and permanent visas together. So "9 months" for a subclass 100 means roughly 9 months after that two-year mark, not 9 months in total.

These are history, not a promise. It's called a guide only, and the Department says it isn't specific to your application. It also notes that it continues to prioritise older applications, and compassionate and compelling ones, which shows up in the published figures.

Why are offshore applicants further back in the queue?

Because the processing order says so. Partner visas are decided under Ministerial Direction 117, and the Department explains how it applies in plain terms: applications are generally assessed in the order received, with the highest priority going to onshore 820 and 801 applications. Offshore 300, 309 and 100 applications get lower priority, and the Department says they're likely to wait longer.

Volume matters as well. For 2026-27 the Migration Program sets an indicative planning level of 41,500 Partner places, up from 40,500 in 2025-26. Partner visas are demand driven, so that number isn't a hard cap. It still tells you roughly how many grants the Department is planning to deliver against everyone already waiting.

Then there's the file itself. A complete application is quicker to decide than one the officer has to chase. Every request for more information adds weeks, sometimes months, and none of that shows up in the guide until after the fact.

Asking for a faster decision

You can ask. Expect a no. Under Direction 117 the Department may prioritise an application with compassionate circumstances and compelling reasons to depart from the normal order. Most such requests can't be approved, it says.

Before a request is even considered:

• every supporting document must already be with the application
• you must meet all the legal requirements for the visa
• for the permanent stage, 2 years must have passed since you applied

Plan your life around the 90% figure, not the 50% one.

FAQ

How much does a Partner visa cost in Australia?

From 1 July 2026, the base charge for the subclass 820/801 or 309/100 is $11,710, paid once at lodgement for both stages. It's $9,600 if the main applicant holds a Pacific-regional passport, including Timor-Leste. Each added family member costs extra: $5,860 for anyone 18 or over and $2,935 for anyone under 18, or $4,805 and $2,405 at the Pacific rate.

Will the Partner visa fee increase in 2026?

It already has. On 1 July 2026 the base charge for the subclass 820/801 and 309/100 rose from $9,365 to $11,710 for most applicants. At the same time a lower $9,600 rate started for main applicants holding a Pacific-regional passport, including Timor-Leste.

How long does it take to get a Partner visa 309 in Australia in 2026?

The Department's processing time guide showed, on 6 October 2026, that 50% of recently decided subclass 309 applications took 21 months and 90% took 32 months. It's a guide only. Offshore applications have lower priority than onshore ones under Ministerial Direction 117.

What is the processing time for the Partner visa 820 in 2026?

On 6 October 2026 the Department's guide showed 50% of subclass 820 applications decided in 22 months and 90% in 30 months. The permanent subclass 801 is measured separately, from the date of eligibility 2 years after you applied, with 50% decided in 8 months and 90% in 19 months.

Why is a Partner visa taking so long?

Mostly because of the processing order and the size of the queue. Under Ministerial Direction 117 onshore subclass 820 and 801 applications get the highest priority, and offshore 300, 309 and 100 applications wait longer. Incomplete applications also slow down, because each request for more information adds time.

Can I ask for my Partner visa to be processed faster?

Yes, but most requests are refused. The Department may prioritise an application with compassionate circumstances and compelling reasons to depart from the normal order, but only once every supporting document is lodged and the legal requirements are met. For the permanent stage, 2 years must have passed since you applied.

Weighing up the 300 against the 309/100, or not sure which rate applies to your family? Book a consultation and we'll price your application and check it's complete before you lodge, since a complete file is the one part of the wait you control. You can also read more about Partner and family visas.